Leading Off

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PHOTOGRAPH BY TOM LYNN FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Badger Of Honor Melvin Gordon's season is beginning to sound like a Bunyanesque tale, and not just because the junior running back helped Wisconsin beat Minnesota 34--24 last Saturday to claim the Paul Bunyan Axe. Gordon rushed for 151 yards on 29 carries—and that was a down game for the nation's leading rusher, the first time since Nov. 1 that he hadn't cracked 200 yards. Gordon did set the Big Ten rushing record against the Gophers, and with 2,260 yards he has a chance to break Barry Sanders's single-season mark of 2,628 (page 32).

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PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL BAPTIST NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Prayer Jordan Sometimes even NBA players just have to stop and watch when one of their own tries an especially dicey aerial maneuver. Such was the case last Friday when Clippers center DeAndre Jordan went up for a reverse layup against the Rockets: You can almost see the thought bubbles—Which Jordan does he think he is?—emanating from his earthbound teammates and opponents. Jordan's bid for highlight-show glory was unsuccessful but he fared better in areas that matter. He had a game-high 13 rebounds, and L.A. won 102--85.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY GARY LLOYD MCCULLOUGH FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Soaking In the View From the northeast pool at Jacksonville's EverBank Field, Hailey Ward (left) and Addison Messina of Daytona Beach floated as the Jaguars floundered on Sunday during the first half against the Giants. Entering the game 1--10, the Jags trailed 21--3 at intermission and seemed dead in the water, but a pair of defensive touchdowns and a last-minute field goal buoyed them to a 25--24 victory.